Educated

pulled taut; the bit forced Bud’s head up and forward. With his head raised,
Bud could no longer buck and he entered a smooth, rhythmic gallop. Shawn
yanked hard on his own reins, pulling the mare’s head toward his knee,
forcing her to run in a circle. He pulled her head tighter on every pass,
wrapping the strap around his forearm, shrinking the circle until it was so
small, the pounding hooves stood still. I slid from the saddle and lay in the
wheat, the itchy stalks poking through my shirt. Above my head the horses
panted, their bellies swelling and collapsing, their hooves pawing at the dirt.